Search

Introduction: Biomonitoring of exposure to carcinogenic Benzo(a)Pyrene is generally based on measurement of urinary 3-hydroxybenzo(a)pyrene (3-OHBaP), but its analysis is complex and only reflects the BaP detoxification pathway. TetraolBaP, another BaP metabolite resulting from the metabolic activation pathway, is now available but has not yet been studied in occupational settings or compared with 3-OHBaP., Methods: Biomonitoring was carried out on 118 subjects working in the aluminium smelting industry. 3 urine samples were collected from each subject at the beginning and end of the working week. Pyrene metabolite (1-hydroxypyrene) and the two BaP biomarkers (3-OHBaP and TetraolBaP) were analysed using LC-Fluorescence and GC-NCI-MS-MS., Results: The workers studied were found to be highly exposed, with 1-OHP and 3-OHBaP frequently exceeding maximum recommended values in occupational settings. Maximum concentrations were measured at end of shift+16h for all biomarkers, highlighting dermal exposure and/or temporary storage. Correlations were strong between 1-OHP and 3-OHBaP (r = 0.68-0.75) as well as between 3-OHBaP and TetraolBaP (r = 0.67-0.78), and moderate between 1-OHP and TetraolBaP (r = 0.59-0.76). While TetraolBaP levels were higher at low PAH exposures, TetraolBaP increased much more slowly at high exposures, indicating progressive saturation of the bioactivation pathway. The [3-OHBaP]/[TetraolBaP] ratio was found to be significantly lower in chronically exposed workers. Urinary TetraolBaP levels corresponding to 1-OHP (2.5 μg/L or 1 μmol/mol creatinine) or 3-OHBaP (0.4 nmol/mol creatinine) guidance values were found to range between 0.84 and 0.95 nmol/mol creatinine., Conclusions: TetraolBaP, resulting from carcinogenic BaP's metabolic activation pathway, was shown to be a diagnostically specific and sensitive biomarker for determining subjects' toxic internal exposure to PAHs in different contexts (occupational settings, environment) and assessing health risks., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare they have no competing financial interests or personal relationships that might have influenced the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmental carcinogens. However, there is limited evidence for the relations between PAHs exposure and blood pressure (BP) with the mediating role of oxidative stress. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated relations among PAHs exposure, oxidative stress, and BP in the elderly population. We measured the levels of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), an indicator of PAHs exposure, and malondialdehyde (MDA), an oxidative stress marker, in urine samples repeatedly collected from 560 elderly persons aged ≥60 years, and then evaluated the relations among 1-OHP level, MDA level, and systolic or diastolic BP (SBP or DBP) measured on the day of urine collection. Urinary 1-OHP level was significantly associated with both MDA level (β = 0.19 and p < 0.0001) and BP (β = 1.72 and p < 0.0001 for SBP; and β = 1.24 and p < 0.0001 for DBP). Furthermore, urinary MDA level was also significantly associated with BP (β = 4.35 and p < 0.0001 for SBP; and β = 2.51 and p < 0.0001 for DBP). The trend for the change of SBP and DBP by 1-OHP quartile was more apparent in the elderly female participants (p trend <0.0001 for SBP; and p trend <0.0001 for DBP) compared with the elderly male participants (p trend  = 0.8351 for SBP; and p trend  = 0.3736 for DBP). To explore the mediating role of oxidative stress in the relation between 1-OHP level and SBP or DBP, we repeated these analyses after adjustment for the MDA levels. The increase in BP by 1-OHP exposure was largely mediated by the production of MDA (96.3% for SBP and 94.7% for DBP). These results revealed that PAHs exposure may increase BP through the mediation of oxidative stress., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Polycylic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are produced during the incomplete burning of organic materials. PAH sources include vehicle exhaust, tobacco smoke and waste incineration. Environmental and occupational exposures to PAHs are known to occur. Cancer is a significant endpoint of PAH exposure and several occupations associated with high PAH exposure have been classified by IARC as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1). Pyrene is a common component of PAH mixtures and metabolism of pyrene leads to the excretion of 1-hydroxypyrene glucuronide (1-OHPyrG) in urine. Laboratory measurement of urinary 1-OHPyrG is employed in occupational and environmental biomonitoring programmes. The production of an anti-1-OHPyrG monoclonal antibody would allow the development of a PAH biomonitoring ELISA facilitating large scale laboratory screening and routine testing. The development of a lateral flow immunoassay and the production of a field test (point of use test) would greatly increase the value of biomonitoring. A novel Lateral Flow has been developed which employs an anti-1-OHPyrG sheep monoclonal antibody (Mab) to capture the PAH metabolite. The captured metabolite is visualised through a second Mab raised against the Mab-1-OHPyrG immune complex. This sandwich assay provides a positive correlation between the assay signal and biomarker concentration. A Smartphone camera allows signal measurement and a carefully considered 'app' provides result interpretation and data analysis. Results are provided in an exposed/not-exposed format. Performance of the lateral flow was confirmed through a comparative study and field trial. The development of a lateral flow test provides "real-time" analysis to occupational health professionals. On-site screening allows the immediate confirmation of safe working practice, provides immediate reassurance to those involved in potentially hazardous activities and greatly increases the efficacy of biomonitoring., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Lathan Ball reports financial support was provided by Bioventix plc. Lathan Ball reports a relationship with Bioventix plc that includes: consulting or advisory and travel reimbursement. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper, (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A fast and non-separative screening strategy is presented for the analysis of five urinary metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), namely 2-naphthol, 1-acenaphthenol, 2-hydroxyfluorene, 9-phenanthrol and 1-hydroxypyrene. These hydroxylated derivatives (OH-PAHs) were subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis and were extracted from urine using a liquid-liquid extraction (LLE). The profile signals were obtained by direct injection of the sample into a programmed temperature vaporizer coupled to a quadrupole mass spectrometer via a deactivated fused silica tubing (PTV-qMS). Semi-quantitative determination was carried out by means of partial least squares regression (PLS1) using urine samples free of the analytes and spiked at several uncorrelated concentration levels. The multivariate calibration models worked satisfactorily, with errors ranging between 30 and 33 % for all the analytes except for 1-acenaphthenol that provided an error of 39 % when external validation set was considered. The repeatability and reproducibility, expressed as relative standard deviation (RSD), were ranged between 8-16 % and 11-18 %, respectively. The proposed method could be a useful tool for semi-quantification purposes of five OH-PAHs in urine samples, identifying positive samples for subsequent further chromatographic separation (confirmation), thus saving time and costs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Diesel exhaust (DE) exposures pose concerns for serious health effects, including asthma and lung cancer, in California communities burdened by multiple stressors., Objective: To evaluate DE exposures in disproportionately impacted communities using biomonitoring and compare results for adults and children within and between families., Methods: We recruited 40 families in the San Francisco East Bay area. Two metabolites of 1-nitropyrene (1-NP), a marker for DE exposures, were measured in urine samples from parent-child pairs. For 25 families, we collected single-day spot urine samples during two sampling rounds separated by an average of four months. For the 15 other families, we collected daily spot urine samples over four consecutive days during the two sampling rounds. We also measured 1-NP in household dust and indoor air. Associations between urinary metabolite levels and participant demographics, season, and 1-NP levels in dust and air were evaluated., Results: At least one 1-NP metabolite was present in 96.6% of the urine samples. Detection frequencies for 1-NP in dust and indoor air were 97% and 74%, respectively. Results from random effect models indicated that levels of the 1-NP metabolite 6-hydroxy-1-nitropyrene (6-OHNP) were significantly higher in parents compared with their children (p-value = 0.005). Urinary 1-NP metabolite levels were generally higher during the fall and winter months. Within-subject variability was higher than between-subject variability (~60% of total variance versus ~40%, respectively), indicating high short-term temporal variability., Impact: Biomonitoring, coupled with air monitoring, improves understanding of hyperlocal air pollution impacts. Results from these studies will inform the design of effective exposure mitigation strategies in disproportionately affected communities., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Current research on the epigenetic repercussions of exposure to a combination of pollutants is limited. This study aims to discern DNA methylation probes associated with exposure to multiple pollutants, serving as early effect markers, and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as surrogate indicators for population susceptibility. The investigation involved the analysis of urine exposure biomarkers for 11 heavy metals (vanadium, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, chromium, nickel, lead, manganese, copper, strontium, thallium), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) (1-hydroxypyrene), genome-wide DNA methylation sequencing, and SNPs array on all study participants. The data were integrated with metabolomics information and analyzed both at a community level based on proximity to home addresses relative to the complex and at an individual level based on exposure biomarker concentrations., Results: On a community level, 67 exposure-related CpG probes were identified, while 70 CpG probes were associated with urine arsenic concentration, 2 with mercury, and 46 with vanadium on an individual level. These probes were annotated to genes implicated in cancers and chronic kidney disease. Weighted quantile sum regression analysis revealed that vanadium, mercury, and 1-hydroxypyrene contributed the most to cg08238319 hypomethylation. cg08238319 is annotated to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor (AHRR) gene, and AHRR hypomethylation was correlated with an elevated risk of lung cancer. AHRR was further linked to deregulations in phenylalanine metabolism, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, along with heightened oxidative stress. Additionally, three SNPs (rs11085020, rs199442, and rs10947050) corresponding to exposure-related CpG probes exhibited significant interaction effects with multiple heavy metals and PAHs exposure, and have been implicated in cancer progression and respiratory diseases., Conclusion: Our findings underscore the pivotal role of AHRR methylation in gene-environment interactions and highlight SNPs that could potentially serve as indicators of population susceptibility in regions exposed to multiple heavy metals and PAHs., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous pollutants of significant public health concern, with several that are highly toxic to humans, including some proven or suspected carcinogens. To account for the high variability of PAH mixtures encountered in occupational settings, adjusting urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) levels by the total airborne pyrene (PyrT)/benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) ratio is essential for human biomonitoring (HBM). Given the complexity and cost of systematically monitoring atmospheric levels, alternative approaches to simultaneous airborne and HBM are required. The aim of this review was to catalog airborne PyrT/BaP ratios measured during different industrial activities and recommend 1-OHP-dedicated biological guidance values (BGV). A literature search was conducted. Seventy-one studies were included, with 5619 samples pertaining to 15 industrial sectors, 79 emission processes, and 213 occupational activities. This review summarized more than 40 years of data from almost 20 countries and highlighted the diversity and evolution of PAH emissions. PyrT/BaP ratios were highly variable, ranging from 0.8 in coke production to nearly 40 in tire and rubber production. A single PyrT/BaP value cannot apply to all occupational contexts, raising the question of the relevance of defining a single biological limit value for 1-OHP in industrial sectors where the PyrT/BaP ratio variability is high. Based upon the inventory, a practical approach is proposed for systematic PAH exposure and risk assessment, with a simple frame to follow based upon specific 1-OHP BGVs depending upon the occupational context and setup of a free PAH HBM interactive tool.

Background: Maternal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), ubiquitous constituents of air pollution, has been associated with adverse birth outcomes. Yet it remains unclear whether and how socioeconomic status (SES) affects gestational PAH exposure., Objective: To examine whether there are socioeconomic disparities in PAHs exposure among pregnant women from Rochester, NY, and if so, to what extent disproportionate proximity to air pollution sources, measured by residential distance to transportation-related sources, contributed to the exposure disparity., Methods: We measured 1-hydroxypyrene concentrations in 726 urine samples collected from 305 pregnant women up to three samples throughout pregnancy. Residential distances to transportation-related sources were calculated based on participants' home addresses. We used linear mixed-effects models with random intercepts of participants to examine associations between 1-hydroxypyrene, SES indicators, and distance to transportation-related sources. We used structural equation modelling to assess to what extent distance to transportation-related sources contributes to the socioeconomic disparity in 1-hydroxypyrene concentrations., Results: Reduced household income and maternal education level were both significant SES predictors of 1-hydroxypyrene concentrations, after the adjustment for other maternal demographic characteristics. Each interquartile range (IQR) increases in residential proximity to the airport (from 14.3 to 6.0 km), the railroad yard (from 22.3 to 6.0 km), and annual average daily traffic within 300 m (from 3796 to 99,933 vehicles/year) were associated with 15.0% (95%CI: 7.0-22.2%), 15.4% (95%CI: 6.5-23.5%), and 13.6% (95%CI: 4.7-23.3%) increases in 1-hydroxypyrene concentrations, respectively. Proximity to these sources jointly explained 10% (95%CI: 1.6-18.4%) of the 1-hydroxypyrene concentration change associated with decreases in SES as a latent variable defined by both household income and education level., Impact Statement: Our findings suggest that efforts to address disproportionate residential proximity to transportation-related sources may reduce the socioeconomic disparity in PAH exposure., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc.)

The concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the air inside residential houses in Iran along with measuring the amount of 1-OHpyrene metabolite in the urine of the participants in the study was investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Demographic characteristics (including age, gender, and body composition), equipment affecting air quality, and wealth index were also investigated. The mean ± standard error (SE) concentration of particulate matter 10 (PM 10 ) and ∑PAHs in the indoor environment was 43.2 ± 1.98 and 1.26 ± 0.15 μg/m 3 , respectively. The highest concentration of PAHs in the indoor environment in the gaseous and particulate phase related to Naphthalene was 1.1 ± 0.16 μg/m 3 and the lowest was 0.01 ± 0. 0.001 μg/m 3 Pyrene, while the most frequent compounds in the gas and particle phase were related to low molecular weight hydrocarbons. 30% of the samples in the indoor environment have BaP levels higher than the standards provided by WHO guidelines. 68% of low molecular weight hydrocarbons were in the gas phase and 73 and 75% of medium and high molecular weight hydrocarbons were in the particle phase. There was a significant relationship between the concentration of some PAH compounds with windows, evaporative coolers, printers, and copiers (p < 0.05). The concentration of PAHs in houses with low economic status was higher than in houses with higher economic status. The average concentration of 1-hydroxypyrene metabolite in the urine of people was 7.10 ± 0.76 μg/L, the concentration of this metabolite was higher in men than in women, and there was a direct relationship between the amount of this metabolite in urine and the amount of some hydrocarbon compounds in the air, PM 10 , visceral fat and body fat. This relationship was significant for age (p = 0.01). The concentration of hydrocarbons in the indoor environment has been above the standard in a significant number of non-smoking indoor environments, and the risk assessment of these compounds can be significant. Also, various factors have influenced the amount of these compounds in the indoor air, and paying attention to them can be effective in reducing these hydrocarbons in the air., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one of the most important environmental pollutants. Urinary concentrations of 1-hydropyren metabolites of PAHs have been used as biomarkers of these chemicals' exposure in humans. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 468 healthy Iranian adults over 25 years old and non-smokers in six provinces who were selected based on the clustering method. Fasting urine sampling and body composition and demographic measurements were performed. Urine samples were analyzed by GC-MS. The analysis included descriptive statistics and analytical statistics using multiple linear regression by Python software. 1-Hydroxypyrene was found in 100% of samples, and the mean (Reference Value 95%) concentration of 1-hydroxypyrene was 6.12 (RV 95%: 20) μg/L and 5.95 (21) μg/gcrt. There was a direct relationship between the amount of body composition (body fat, visceral fat), BMI, and age with the urinary concentrations of 1-hydropyren metabolites, and this relationship was significant for BMI with urinary concentrations of 1-hydropyren metabolites (P = 0.045). The amount of 1-hydroxypyrene in healthy Iranian adults has been higher than in similar studies in other countries. These results provide helpful information regarding the exposure of Iranian adults to 1-hydroxypyrene, and these data can be used to supplement the national reference values of human biomonitoring for the interpretation of biomonitoring results., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Diesel engine exhaust (DEE) and some of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) it contains are carcinogenic to humans (for example benzo(a)pyrene) and can cause lung cancer in workers. The objective of this study was to assess exposures to DEE and its component PAH and the potential associations between these two health hazards in a salt and potash mining population., Methods: Between 2017 and 2019, 1003 underground workers (mining n = 801, maintenance n = 202) and 243 above-ground facility workers from two German mines participated. Personal exposure to DEE was assessed in air as elemental carbon for diesel particulate matter (EC-DPM), whereas exposure to PAH was assessed in pre- and post-shift urine samples in terms of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP). Associations between EC-DPM and 1-OHP were studied using linear regression models., Results: The highest EC-DPM exposures were measured in mining workers (median 0.06 mg/m³) followed by workers in the maintenance (0.03 mg/m 3 ) and facility areas (<0.02 mg/m 3 ). Exposures above the current German occupational threshold level of 0.05 mg/m 3 were observed in 56%, 17%, and 5% of mining, maintenance and facility workers, respectively. 1-OHP increased statistically significantly across a work shift in underground workers but not in facility workers. Regression analyses revealed an increase of post-shift 1-OHP by almost 80% in mining and 40% in maintenance compared with facility workers. 1-OHP increased with increasing EC-DPM among underground workers. However, internal exposure of 1-OHP mainly remained at levels similar to those of the German general population in more than 90% of the urine samples., Conclusions: While exposures to DEE above the current German OEL for EC-DPM are quite common in the studied population of underground salt and potash miners (39.5% overall), urinary concentrations of 1-OHP did not reflect these findings., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Swaantje Casjens, Savo Neumann, Dirk Pallapies, Jürgen Bünger, Heiko U. Käfferlein, Thomas Behrens, Thomas Brüning, and Dirk Taeger, as staff of the Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine (IPA), were employed until the end of 2021 at the German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Raw Materials and Chemical Industry (BG RCI), a public body. IPA is an independent research institute of the Ruhr University Bochum. Jörg Giesen and Volker Neumann, as staff of the Institute for the Research on Hazardous Substances (IGF), Bochum, Germany, are also employed at BG RCI. IGF is an independent research institute. Katrin Rühle, Lisa Gamrad-Streubel, Lisa-Marie Haase, Katharina K. Rudolph, and Thomas Birk are staff of Ramboll, a consultancy commissioned by the BG RCI to conduct the study. All authors are independent of the sponsors in all aspects of this research including study design, collection, analysis and interpretation of data, and the right to publish. The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the sponsors., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

This article reviewed the published studies on the environmental exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) among children and assessed the urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) level as a biomarker of exposure to PAHs. The current knowledge of the potential health effects of increased 1-OHP in children was reviewed. Additionally, the influence of genetic polymorphism on the urinary 1-OHP level was discussed in this review. The assembled data showed that children who are attending schools or living close to industrial and polluted urban areas might have greater exposure to higher concentrations of PAHs with a higher level of urinary 1-OHP when compared to those children living in rural areas. Urinary 1-OHP may be a reliable biomarker for determining the genotoxic effects, oxidative stress and inflammation caused by exposure to PAHs. Strong research evidence indicated that the total body burden of PAHs should be evaluated by biomonitoring of 1-OHP in line with other urinary PAHs metabolites (with 2-3 rings) to evaluate recent total exposure to PAHs. Overall, the study suggests implementing a mitigation plan to combat air pollution to provide a cleaner environment for children., (© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)